Letter-holder.



I W. L. WEST.

LETTER HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED new, 1911.

Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

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WALTER L. WEST, OF HOOKER, OKLAHOMA.

LETTER-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22,1912.

Application filed August 31, 1911. Serial No. 647,100.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VALTEI: L. \Vnsr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hooker, in the county of Texas, State of Oklahoma, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Holders; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved letter-holder and to provide asimple and novel device of this character which will avoid the necessityof employing twine to tie up packages of letters, the device beingadapted for continuous use thereby proving a great saving in expense insuch use.

The invention is particularly adapted for use by mail carriers andheretofore the letters have been tied in packages while in the presentinvention the letters may be with drawn at will and when packed or heldby my improved holder, will be retained against mutilation.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainother combinations and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter morefully described and claimed, it being a still further object to providea device which will not be likely to get out of working order.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved holder. Fig. 2is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown the plate member 10to which the letters or papers are adapted to be secured, said platebeing preferably constructed of metal in sheet form and having asurrounding binding comprising four sect-ions of metal bent uponthemselves as shown at 11 and secured to the plate thereby rigidlystrengthening the said plate and avoiding sharp projections as wouldtend to cause injury. Secured to one side of the plate is a metallickeeper 12 which servesto strengthen the plate as well as to prevent thesame from lying in a flat position which would tend to hinder thegrasping thereof when the letters are mounted thereon and preventmutilation of the letters in lifting the holder, and the upper end ofthe keeper 12 projects beyond one edge of the plate and is formed with atapered end 12.

Secured to the opposite face or side of the plate 10 and at its loweredge are a pair of rigid links 13 which are disposed adjacent each endof the plate at right angles thereto for receiving elastic bands let oneend of which is secured to a buckle member 15 as shown at 16 and theother end of which is disposed for adjustment through two loops of thebuckle as shown at 17 whereby the bands may be adjusted to differentsizes according to the number of letters to be car ried by the holder.Other sections of elastic fabric similar to that of which the loops areformed as shown at 18 in the drawings are secured to the ends of thebuckle members so as to form handles or tabs to be grasped in shorteningor lengthening the loops or bands, it being understood that both thebands are similarly formed.

A bar 19 having loops 20 formed at each end receive the fabric formingthe bands for adjustment and centrally of the bar is disposed a claspingeye 21 having a twisted shank portion 22 and having its end portionscoiled around the bar upon each side of its shank portion as shown at 23serving to frictionally engage the bar for holding the eye againstmovement. The eye is adapted to be engaged over the extension 12 of thekeeper 12 by stretching the fabric forming the bands and as the eyeportion 21 is disposed at right angles to its shank portion 22, the saideye will properly engage the keeper and the bar will be properlyretained in position.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I provide asimple construction for tying letters or the like which by avoiding theexpensive use of twine and being capable of being continuously usedaffords an economical means of tying the packages and holding the samein the manner set forth.

I claim 1. A letter holder comprising a plate, a keeper secured to oneside of the plate and projecting beyond one edge thereof, said keeperserving to support the plate in a tilted position, loops secured to theother side of the plate and opposite edge, a bar having an eye adaptedto engage the keeper and adjustable bands connecting the loops and endsof the bar, said eye having oppositely coiled portions upon each sidethereof to frictionally engage the bar.

2. A holder comprising a metallic plate, a

keeper in the form of a bar rigidly secured to one side of the plate tosupport the same from positive Contact with a surface and projectingbeyond one edge of the plate, loop members secured to the opposite edgeof the plate adjacent each end thereof, a pair of flexible bands engagedin the loops, a bar having a loop at each end through which the bandsare movable and a cla1np ing eye slidably carried by the bar on theopposite side of the plate for engagement with the keeper,

8. A holder of the class described comprising a plate, a keeper barsecured transversely to one side and projecting from one edge of theplate and having a tapered portion, rigid loops secured to the face ofthe Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner plate adjacent the opposite edge and sidethereof at right angles thereto, a bar hav ing loops at its ends, an eyehaving a twisted shank and end portions coiled around the bar to holdthe same in position thereon, said eye being adapted to engage thetapered keeper, buckle members and flexible bands engaged in. the loopsat the ends of the bar, through the first mentioned loops and adjustablein the buckles.

In testimony whereof, I atliX my signature, in presence of twoWitnesses.

\VALTER L. WE ST.

WVitnesses V. W. HAYWARD, R. 0. EST.

of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

